Looks like I came to the party late, but I listened to your recording, now. This is the first time I have heard the piece, I like it very much and think you play it well. Reminds me of the Rach transcription of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's dream, requiring a lot of energy with no place to hide/rest. I think you do well given the challenges.

_________________"I don't know what music is, but I know it when I hear it." - Alan SchuylerRiley Tucker

Thanks Riley. But how on earth can this remind you of Rach's Midsummernight transcription ? The two pieces could hardly be further apart, the calm, sparse and simplistic writing of Rodrigo versus the hyperactive Rachmaninov-Mendelssohn mix. The latter may well be one of the most daunting pieces in the repertoire.

I must say Rodrigo is new to me, but I liked this piece on first hearing. It's quite sunny and upbeat. If it were not for the occasional dissonances, and given the presence of the mordents as well, it might be difficult guessing Rodrigo's era--which is actually contemporary. Speaking of mordents, they can be devilish at times, especially with a firm piano action, but you executed them well. The other day I was playing Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique which has beaucoup mordents as you know. I took out the action and put teflon powder on the shank knuckles, but some of those mordents were still tough at speed! The current thinking is if ornaments are too difficult on a modern piano, then don't play them. But then what are you going to do if Beethoven serves up whole pages of them?

Very nice playing!

David

_________________"Interpreting music means exploring the promise of the potential of possibilities." David April

Thanks David. It' always nice to introduce people to a composer they did not know. I deeply love Rodrigo with his unique blend of archaism and modernism. I'm just watching a documentary about him on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huhKfYUbkyA, unfortunately in Spanish with Italian subtitles but I can pick up enough of the Italian to follow the thread. Very moving how his wife was devoted to being the blind composer's eyes, and to see these two sweet old people playing piano together. I'd have liked to know them.

Ornaments are the bane of my existence ( I love that phrase ) and I have great trouble with them too. They're driving me to despair in a Scarlatti sonata I'm working on. Generally, I find that it helps taking just a fraction more time for them, never rush, and use the thumb and third finger wherever possible, even if that means some awkward fingering afterwards. I'd love to be able just to leave them out if they're hard... but I don't feel that is right.

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